United Way of King County's Hunger Action Week: Braised Short Ribs and Hearts of Romaine Salad

I had some money left over so on Wednesday morning I made my way over to H-Mart again to pick up some supplies. My intention was to make a beef stock and use it to braise something. I looked around for a few minutes then came up to the decision of doing short ribs.

(Here’s the H-Mart receipt)

I made the beef stock on Wednesday and while you’re expecting a recipe now for it let me just me just say that I have a surprise for you and it’s going to be huge. Until you see what I’m talking about here is a recipe for beef stock (click)

I like inexpensive cuts of meat. When you know what to do with them they can develop flavors that an expensive piece of Wagyu won’t.  So let’s braise  (such high praise for the braise!

First you will want to tie the meat so that it stays attached to the bone as you cook it.  This will help with structure when you go to plate it up. I’m sure you could not tie it but I’m a little dramatic so tie them up!

As you can see, I used a butcher’s knot to tie this up, it’s easy to do and quick when you’re doing more than one.

Ok, so here is where things start to become awesome. Take a rather large cast-iron pan and sear each side of the meat……on high heat, don’t be afraid….add a little bit of clarified butter to help the searing process.

While the meat is searing, you will want to prep some onions, celery, carrots, roma tomato (quartered) and those mushroom stems that came from the tomato duxelle from the previous day.  I’m going to use a hint of those mushrooms now then finish the sauce with mushrooms because there is nothing better than beef and mushrooms!

Throw the onions and carrots in to lightly caramelize them. Then throw in the celery, tomato, some thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and finally the beef stock then take the whole pan and place it in the oven for over 3 hours at 250F. You will want to make sure the liquid is just covering the meat at all times so you will have to pour more beef stock in as the meat cooks.

(add more beef stock….ok ok ok, I will….)

Huh, this is going to be a while. I think I’ll make a salad. Hmmm, not much left or exciting to work with. Wait, I can make some croutons out of that oatnut bread and use some of the romaine to do a………….

Croutons tossed in melted butter, salt, pepper, and thyme then placed in the oven at 250F for 25 minutes.

Tomatoes (diced nice!), with the croutons, hearts of romaine, white wine vinaigrette (70% canola 30% white wine vinegar then salt and pepper).

Alright, the meat is ready.  Strain the sauce from the meat then place the strained sauce in a small sauce pot then reduce by half…make sure you skim the fat from the sauce, there will be a lot of it. When the sauce it about 50% reduced then toss in some sliced mushrooms and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.  You’re ready to plate up now (see picture above)

Now it’s time for a little message from the United Way of King County.

There are so many simple things you and your family can do to take action to end hunger in our community. You can:

• Invite friends to a “virtual lunch.” Estimate the cost, and donate that amount to your favorite hunger-relief organization.
• Energize your book group around a book that focuses on the issues of hunger.
• Plan a food drive with your school, neighborhood, place of worship or after-school group.
• Donate the free items from “buy one, get one free” grocery store campaigns.
• Grow a vegetable garden with your family and donate extra vegetables to a local soup kitchen.

Taking the Hunger Challenge?

• Did you stay within your budget all week?
• Will this change how you shop for food or plan meals in the future? Share your thoughts on our blog.
• Share your ideas on creative ways to get involved and read what others are saying on our blog.

Did you know?

Nearly one in five Americans said they lacked the money to buy the food they needed at some point in the last year, according to a survey co-sponsored by the Gallup organization and released Tuesday by an anti-hunger group.

[Via http://ericriveracooks.com]

Healthy Week Night Dinner

On Tuesday night, I had some umeboshi (sour plum) marinated chicken left over from Sunday Night, so I decided to use it as a topping for Udon Noodles. I rarely make Udon …but figured it’s a good one dish dinner for busy weeknights…For Hump Day on Wednesday, we finally decided to go see Avatar in 3D IMAX. I know I’m a bit behind but it turned out to be a fantastic hump day event! I was thoroughly entertained! As for the dinner, I didn’t have much time to cook, so I made simple dishes… Steamed sweet potatoes with feta cheese, Broiled Pompano fish with onion black bean sauce, balsamic vinegar marinated, grilled asparagus and kiriboshi-daikon (Japanese dried daikon radish simmered with fried tofu skin and carrots). I made kiriboshi-daikon for the first time with my mother-in-law in my mind. She likes cooking and healthy dishes. Maybe I’ll make this dish for her, next time she comes over.

[Via http://missbabysunshine.wordpress.com]

Rawmazing Recipes to Keep

When I first started blogging, I said it was to remind me of that I know was true.

As I age, I’m finding that it’s really more and more about reminding of me that which I don’t want to lose!

Taking a quick break between student meetings, I found this wonderful list of recipes from Rawmazing that definitely fall in the category of that which I don’t want to lose!

I am particularly psyched to try the Baba Ghanoush (something I’ve really been missing since having gone raw) and the Spinach Cashew “Cheese” Spread, which, at the drop of a hat, can double as the filling for a spinach quiche or the sauce for Spinach Cashew Zucchini Pasta! I mean, seriously, in addition to looking absolutely gorgeous, how convenient is that?!

[Via http://kjlivinglively.com]

Anticlimactic

Yesterday, for about five seconds, so fast you’d miss it if you blinked, I was on the Rachael Ray Show.

It came about after I sent a proposal into the show after the success of Julia & Julia (my new favorite movie), suggesting that someone (me) could cook through a Rachael Ray cookbook for a year and blog about it. We could call it the Rachael/Rachael Project because I couldn’t come up with a more clever idea.

Well, that must have put me on some list because I have randomly received calls from a producer or segment coordinator every six weeks or so. “Have you ever wanted to bob your hair?” “Does your daughter have a boyfriend you can’t stand?” “Can you be in Manhattan on Tuesday?”

Just before Christmas I got a call asking me to send in a video of my daughter and I cooking one of Rachael Ray’s recipes (they gave me four or five choices). We chose Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese because part of the footage they wanted was the family enjoying the finished product and this was the only thing there was even a chance of my daughter actually eating. Even though she doesn’t eat meat. Or things with more than one ingredient, generally. But she likes macaroni and cheese and we had a talk about “acting” beforehand so I thought we’d be okay.

Over Christmas vacation, I scrubbed my kitchen, cleared the counters and displayed two of my paintings prominently in the background for some shameless promotion. We borrowed an HD camera from some friends, and with a 9-year-old cameraman and 6-year-old sous chef, I got cookin’.

Hilarity ensued.

From off camera, my son yelled, “Hey, did you wash your hands?” My daughter took a bite of the mac for the camera…and promptly spit it out. The camera was left unattended several times and we got some good shots of the ceiling. My son discovered the zoom control, and despite my advice to the contrary, attempted to get all artistic with his camera work.

When we were done, I watched it with the kids (sighed in exasperation at the state of my hair), burned a CD and sent it off.

I watched the show in my office on Monday with some friends at work. We cheered when we saw my daughter’s adorable person sprinkling grated cheese over the pan, and boo’d when it became apparent we’d only be on screen for five seconds.

I guess if we all get 15 minutes of fame, I’ve got 14:55 left.

[Via http://rachaelrossman.wordpress.com]

A kitchen loving eggplant, what more could you want?

I really hope ‘Death by Eggplant’ by Susan Heyboer O’Keefe is published in the UK because it looks great.

As I can’t get my hands on this book yet, check out the review on the fantastic new Macmillan Kids Blog and I will try to track down some similar picture books involving food. Any book that gets kid’s interested in cooking and food and the dread v word (vegetables) is a success in my opinion. You can find the review here http://mackids.squarespace.com/mackidssquarespacecom/2010/1/25/title-post-death-by-eggplant.html

[Via http://5minutespeace.wordpress.com]

Episode 9 - A Bowl of Onion

Episode 9 is one episode my husband was dreading. He doesn’t like onions and 5 lbs of onions in a pot to make French Onion Soup was his personal nightmare. He, being the sweet husband he is, agreed to at least try the soup. I know there are going to be some recipes one or both of us are not thrilled with for one reason or another. The coffee episode is going to be interesting – I can’t have caffeine and SH hates the smell of coffee, but that’s another post!

SH's worst nightmare

Cutting the onions took forever and I cried and cried. The whole house smelled of onions. It took longer than I thought to cook the onions, but low and slow is the way you have to go with this recipe. The technique was easy, but you have to be patient. I wanted to just turn the heat up and get it over with several times. I found very low sodium organic beef and chicken broth, so despite Alton’s urging to make my own broth from a future episode, I went with store bought.

Products: Organic red onions, organic butter, organic beef and chicken broth. I couldn’t find organic sweet onions.

Overall: The soup was very rich, but tasty. The melted cheese makes it very tasty.

SH: “Not bad considering the inherent evilness of the recipe”

[Via http://melsenplace.wordpress.com]

Meal Plan starting 22 Jan

I’m beginning to wonder why I do these, as I never seem to stick to them. This week, I intend to try though.

Tonight

I’ve had some fish and rice. I’m not sure if I’m going to eat again, if I do it will be sardines with pasta.

Saturday

Quiche (veggie day)

Sunday

Roast chicken

Monday

Chicken and pasta pie

Tuesday

Soup… Are these 3 days looking familiar? It should do, I was supposed to have this last week, but stayed at my friends instead.

Wednesday

Parsnip roulade and veggies (veggie day)

Thursday

Spaghetti with sausage and mustard

Friday will have to be some sort of fish dish, I’m thinking smoked cod chowder, or maybe a fish pie as I’ll have spare potatoes.

To make this weeks meals, I do not need to buy anything at all, I have it all in the house already. The recipes for Monday and Thursday will be from my home made cookbook so will be the meals I make for my challenge.

I may also make some sort of dessert from my cookbooks if I have the ingredients in the house.

[Via http://wealthyandhealthy.wordpress.com]

soup, chowder and chili oh my

What else you do when the weather is like it is (in Northern California)? …… Make lots of yummy, warm goodness.  So Sunday was clam chowder,  Monday veggie chili and Tuesday creamy broccoli soup. 

We have lots stored in the freezer for those dreaded weeknight meals (when we work).  I love to cook, but when you get home at about 6:00 after being at work all day and just having picked up the kiddos, there isn’t much inspiration or desire to do a grand meal.  So to have homemade, wholesome food ready to go – perfect!

There is nothing better, on a cold, rainy day than to cook soup – the warmth that fills the house, the smells that permeate through everything, and the multitude of “tastes” you must take throughout the cooking process to make sure it’s just right!  Ohhhhhh, if I could spend every cold winter day  like this – I would be a happy mama

I think the next batch of veggie chili will need to be a double – the kids devoured it (plus with all the different spices we put in it – it’s great for Ryder’s Ayurvedic constitution which is Kapha).

Veggie Chili

1 package ground meatless

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 can whole tomatoes

tomato sauce ( I don’t always use a full can – it all depends on how I’m feeling and how the chili is looking)

carrots

peppers (green, red, yellow or orange – or all)

zucchini

onion

garlic

cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, a little cinnamon

sauté carrots, garlic, onion – throw in peppers for a bit before adding the ground meatless.  Add all the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices.  simmer for a while

sometimes if I’m feeling sweet I add a little agave or honey.

Hope you have something warming you during these cold winter months.

Doug

[Via http://bellamadris.wordpress.com]

Peanut Sesame Noodles

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted something especially delicious. This has been partially because I’ve been going out to dinner many consecutive nights with Felicia, jetting around the country/world, or eating lots of pasta in preparation for my marathon. As a result, my meals, when I’ve made them, haven’t been especially groundbreaking. This week that has all changed. (And of course, by groundbreaking, I mean that I made them, and they tasted good. Baby steps, people.) First, I made my healthy soup even MORE groundbreaking with the addition of red chili flakes. Omg. Yum. I will be full of joy when lunchtime arrives so I can have more. Then, last night, I put my own twists on a dish from Cook Yourself Thin that turned out super delicious.

My mom bought be this book, which initially might seem *slightly* offensive, but it wasn’t for two reasons. First, she knew I was embarking on the weight loss challenge, so she figured I could use some healthy recipe inspiration. Second, my family actually knows one of the authors, which is super exciting and totally mitigates any trace of “I think you really could afford to cook yourself thin, Megan.”

I have made a few recipes from here by now, and I am a pretty big fan. They are all pretty easy to make, and the calorie count is included! The only thing that I don’t love is that the recipes usually are for six or even eight people, which seems kind of crazy. I feel like most people trying to “cook themselves thin” do not need to make enough food for eight people. But luckily I am a proficient divider, so I am capable of reducing the recipe accordingly.

Last night, I halved some stuff (pasta) and not others (broccoli slaw). When all was said and done, it made about four generous servings. My cousin Mary Kate was over and she expertly made the dressing. If I do say so myself, this turned out amazingly well. I definitely will be making it again, especially since I now have all of the unusual (for me) ingredients like sesame oil and rice vinegar. I also have a super snazzy picture of the finished product that I’ll add if I can ever make my computer work.

Peanut Sesame Noodles (adapted from Cook Yourself Thin)

Serves 4

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1-2 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot or other hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 lime
• 1/2 cup hot water

For assembling:

• 1/2 bag store-bought broccoli slaw mix
• 4-6 oz. cooked whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 small chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 lime, squeezed
• 1/4 cup apple
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 4 scallions, julienne
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta, and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and run under cold water.
• To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and stir together with a whisk. Add half of the dressing to the pasta and toss. Stir in the broccoli slaw mix, red pepper and cilantro. Squeeze a half of a lime over the mixture, and toss.
• Add the remaining ingredients, toss and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.
• While mixture is refrigerating, chop chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir fry in remaining dressing. Let cool, then top noodles with chicken.
  
  

[Via http://bitesoftheapple.com]

Chicken Fettuccine "Alfredo"

I once read somewhere that Italian restaurants put fettuccine alfredo on their menus because it’s cheap to make and boring people with no pallet order it. I love it so does that make me boring and without a pallet? I’d like to think otherwise. So I did some research and it turns out that fettuccine alfredo is, in fact, from Italy. In Italy, this dish is commonly known as “fettuccine al burro e fromaggio,” or fettuccine with butter and cheese. It is a non-recipe. Basically, it’s so simple that you don’t need a recipe. Kind of like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

So why do we call it alfredo sauce? A restaurant owner by the name of Alfredo de Lelio had a pregnant wife who was having a hard time keeping food down. So he threw together a simple dish made of fettuccine, lots of butter, and parmigiano- reggiano for her. Eventually, he put it on his menu at his restaurant. Then in 1927, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks visited Rome and fell in love with de Lelio’s fettuccine alfredo. They brought the dish back to Hollywood and popularity of the dish in the US spread quickly.

So tonight I’m making homemade “fettuccine al burro e fromaggio.” And because it’s a non-recipe, I can make it however I want.

The Results:

Yes, I that is homemade pasta! The result was great and I could really tell the pasta was fresh. Well worth the hard work. I made my sauce by melting butter in a large pan and sauteed some garlic and mushrooms. Then I added parmesan cheese and stirred until melted. I added salt, pepper, some cream for a creamy texture, and then threw in some fresh basil and some rotisserie chicken before serving.

I was really worried about the pasta dough- it was very hard and I wasn’t sure my kitchenaid would be able to squeeze it through the fettuccine shape. However, after letting it rest for about an hour, it soften up a little bit. I made the dough by making a volcano (dome with a well in the middle) using 3 cups of flour and some salt, and then filled my volcano with 3 eggs plus 4 egg yolks. Using a fork, stir the eggs and slowly add in flour from the edges of the volcano, until all the flour has been incorporated. Then use your hands to knead the dough. It is very crumbly so you can add some olive oil, but not too much because it will come together as you knead the dough. Then wrap tightly with plastic and leave in a cool place for about an hour. Then either roll out and cut into desired shape or put through a pasta maker. Lie the pasta on a towel to dry as you go. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water, for only 2-3 minutes.

[Via http://foodiestudent.wordpress.com]

Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-170LW 2 Burner Modular Cooking System, Black

Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-170LW 2 Burner Modular Cooking System, Black Review

I have used the Camp Chef EX-170L camp stove for many years. My father has this stove and my brother also has this stove. We all love them. We all use them as our primary cook stoves when camping. As a family we like to go camping and quite often the group is 15-20 people large. We set up a cooking area under an EZ-Up tent and these stoves with the high pressure burner cannot be beat for cooking outdoors. I have recently purchased the side shelves for mine. It’s winter here so I have not tried them out yet, but I can already tell they to are going to be an awesome addition to my stove.

Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-170LW 2 Burner Modular Cooking System, Black Feature

• Independent Leveling legs
• Clover Leaf Cooking Surface
• Three sided Windscreen
• Appliance-style Temperature Controls
• 16.25 Inches by 34 Inches by 9.5 Inches

Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-170LW 2 Burner Modular Cooking System, Black Overview

The Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-170LW Burner cooker is more than just a camp stove, this modular outdoor cooking system allows you to create easy gourmet meals at home, camp or at the game. Includes a 3-sided windscreen ,Clover Leaf cooking surface, and appliance-style temperature controls enable easy adjustment of output, making cooking fast and easy. 1×30,000 BTU and 1×75,000 BTU

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 18, 2010 08:51:04

Related : Shop Vdo Games shoes boots shop Ultimate Ears Products Baby Sling Dvd Player

[Via http://campstove.wordpress.com]

Looking For Comfort...

…or how to make yourself feel better with food after a hard day. No specifics necessary, but I felt the need to make something that would soothe our souls tonight. Why is it that we always seem to harken back to a favorite childhood dish when we feel this way? Macaroni and cheese is high on the list when I’m on a quest for an old fashioned supper, but truth be told, I ate pasta three out of the last four nights. My mind was made up-it had to be chicken pot pie.

The chicken pot pie of my childhood was the frozen variety. I don’t remember my mother (who is a wonderful cook) ever making this dish from scratch. It didn’t really matter because I loved my little individual Swanson pot pie-especially the crust. I would have been happy to have a bowl of crust and the creamy sauce!

I’ve made my version of chicken pot pie for years and initially I did a very easy version using frozen puff pastry for the topping. That is still great, but I’ve decided I prefer using my pie crust dough that I normally have stashed away in the freezer. Even if you don’t have a crust in the freezer, the recipe for this pie dough is simple and pretty much foolproof.

Never-Fail Pie Crust

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1-3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

1 egg

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/2 cup cold water

In a larger mixer bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and beat until the mixture is crumbly, about 2 minutes. In a small bowl beat the egg and add the water and the vinegar. Pour over the flour and shortening mixture and beat until well incorporated, about 1 minute. Form the dough into 4 disks, wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Follow directions for whatever pie you are making. I like to roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/8″ thick and then transport to pie dish. If the dough rips, just press it together with your fingers. For my chicken pot pie, I leave out the sugar. I fill a round oven proof dish with my chicken/vegetable mixture and top with a crust (I don’t do a crust on the bottom).

[Via http://paninigirl.wordpress.com]

Roasted Winter Veggie Wraps

This is a great chart I tripped over one day when reading my daily rss feeds via google reader (chart courtesy of guardian.co.uk and Leon Restaraunt). I’ve laminated this chart and it resides on the side of my fridge so that I can refer to it when planning meals or just looking to she whats good when I want to make something like roasted veggie wraps. I will be using a combintion of fresh frozen produce from my CSA share and seasonal items on this chart.

Ingredients for Winter Veggie Wrap:

1 small eggplant,  sliced thin

1 small red pepper, seeded and sliced thin

2 – 3 Artichoke hearts

Brussel sprouts – cut in 1/2

1 butternut squash, sliced thin

1 small zucchini sliced thin

sweet Vidalia onion, sliced thin

2 tsp canola & olive oil

1 tbs fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, peeled & pressed

Sea Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Cream cheese ( I prefer the whipped variety)

6 tortillas (flour or corn)

Prep:

Preheat oven to 450

Combine all veggies in a roasting pan

Roast veggies for 20 minutes or until tender

Season with salt & pepper

Add oil and garlic, toss to coat

Heat tortillas

Spread a little cream cheese on tortilla

Spoon veggies into tortilla

Roll into a cylinder and serve

(may add shredded cheese of your liking to add a little extra flavor)

Enjoy

[Via http://lv2cookgdfd.wordpress.com]

This is not a country-and-western song (yet)

OK, that header is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the last time I posted something that ranged as far as I think this post will I got a rather snarky note from someone suggesting that I had put far too may topics in one blog post. I suppose he was trying to educate me on blog etiquette, but hey, that’s the way my days go. If yours don’t, I’m a bit sorry.

If I were going to do a post about cancer or some very serious topic, I probably would restrict it, narrow it a bit. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to do that, but I’m getting readier. But when I’m writing about life in the country, I think it should include all the wildness that goes with life in the country. If I throw in a little technology or other stuff, well, for me, that’s life in the country, too.

But I just wrote him back and said I’d add trains and pickup trucks and maybe I’d have a country song. If you’re not a David Allan Coe fan (or a Steve “?” who actually wrote the song), you probably won’t get that.

However, there are no trains and pickup trucks in this post. And no Mama, either. She died more than a decade ago, which is a little startling to recognize, frankly.

I went to town today. I really hate doing that, but I had reasons I had to go, and I knew if I put it off any longer, I’d forget them.

I stopped on the way in at the feed-and-seed in Toledo to get Ben two new work shirts. He hinted strongly a couple of weeks ago that he needed them and suggested I check out the Carhardt’s at this store. Well, Carhardt doesn’t seem to manufacture any “work shirts” with a zipper closure, as I found out with the assistance of a nice young clerk who offered to order for me anything I couldn’t find on their shelves. So I got him two hickory shirts (that funny blue and white striped cotton cloth that only serious workers wear). He was very happy, even though the same nice young clerk told me he couldn’t pre-wash them for me to get the itchy sizing out. “It never hurts to ask,” he said.

From there I went on to Newport to the public library to try to get some books I need. I ordered two.

Then I went down the street to the Visual Arts Center. They’re setting up a display of Lincoln County authors to run for about 6 weeks starting in February, and they actually asked for some of my books to a) display, and b) sell. Of course I accommodated them. I’m not sure what books have to do with visual arts, but anyone who wants to sell my books will get my cooperation.

From there I meandered through town to Freddy’s. I got a few groceries (and a couple of puzzle books-I’m out of Crostics). I didn’t get all I should have because I frankly blew off the need to make a list. I did get the critical stuff–two pounds of butter (I was down to only three pounds in the fridge and getting nervous), some ground beef (currently in a pot of chili waiting for us to be hungry), some yeast (I used the last of my non-fast-acting yesterday), some Pepsi (Ben was down to only a can or two), a new block of Bandon cheese, some of Kroger’s outrageously good bacon, some Jimmy Dean sausage for Sunday’s guest breakfast of biscuits with sausage gravy, an “Oregonian” newspaper. . .this list is depressing me a bit as I write it, but you should know I have copious quantities of salad stuff, vegetables, several kins of fresh fruit, and homemade bread already at home.

Then I went across the highway to the liquor store, but I got sidetracked by the fact that there was a Radio Shack next door. So I went there first, bought some batteries to try (saving me a trip to Home Depot in Corvallis which is an hour plus the other direction). Then feeling adventuresome, I bought a Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse to go with my new computer. I’m determined to get rid of all these fricking cords. If anyone out there knows a reason I shouldn’t use this keyboard or mouse (or Maxwell batteries for that matter), please write ASAP. I haven’t hooked it up yet.

Now off to the liquor store for scotch, brandy, and various tobacco products. While there I learned the names of the various clerks that frequently wait on me. I asked because sometime this week it occurred to me that I didn’t know them after years of interaction. I thought that was a bit sad, so I set out to remedy it. In return, Joe, for the first time, called me by what he thinks (based on my debit card) is my first name. I liked that.

Then I pulled into Burger King for a Whopper Junior with extra pickles. This is not food exactly, but it’s closer to it than the 1000-calorie options they prefer to sell, it only cost $1.00, and it kept me from passing out before I got home.

Then to the bank to deposit three small checks, one book-related, one utility refund, one brandy rebate–total under $50.00, but I’d been carrying them around for some time because it’s a lot of trouble to go to the bank. They don’t give me enough deposit slips with my checks, so at a certain point, I have to park, go in, fill out a counter slip, and so on. I am offended by the counter slip that says something like “To serve you better in the future, please use your preprinted deposit slips that come with your checks.” That’s like salt in a wound. I would if I could.

Before I even went to town, I finished Jon Raymond’s short story collection Livability. Whew! What great stories. Read this one for sure.

Then I made about my fifth call to the manager of the Marylhurst bookstore. One of the professors there shot me a note last week to let me know they were down to only one copy of my book and needed some more. But since the prof isn’t paying the bills, I feel a little odd just sending them and thought I should talk to the manager first to confirm. But I’m about to give up.

OK, this is what a day in the country looks like. I’m going to go eat some chili. If there are typos here, I’m sorry, but I’m too tired (the main side effect of going to town) to go look for them.

[Via http://mklekacz.wordpress.com]

Veal & Red Peppers (ala Mary Jo)

This is one of my favorite dishes, this is  a combination of several  of my favorite veal recipes (scallopine, piccata, & francecsa).Truthfully, this is sooo good that I never order veal in a restaurant any more.

You will need:

1 1/2 cup chicken stock (see above)

1 1/2 cup white wine – (I use my favorite chardonnay)

4 tbs olive oil

2 lg red peppers

1 cup mushrooms (preferably portabella)

2 to 3 shallots

2 garlic cloves (pressed and squeezed)

2 tbs butter (the real thing)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tbs parsley

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp sea salt

pepper (to taste)

The Prep:

Clean & Julienne the red peppers

Sauté red peppers in olive oil & set aside

Sauté mushrooms in olive oil & set aside

Sauté shallots in olive oil & set aside

Sautégarlic in olive oil & set aside

Mix flour, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper together in a medium size bowl

Tenderize the veal

Coat veal with wine, then dip into flour combination

Heat olive oil in pan & add butter

Saute veal in pan, cook each side three to four minutes over a medium high heat

Place veal in a baking dish and keep warm in the oven (about 275)

To make the sauce to pour over veal:

Add 3/4 cups wine to pan to deglaze

Add peppers, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, chicken stock and remaining wine

Sauté for 2 – 3 minutes over medium heat.

Thicken to desired consistency by alternating adding flour and cheese to pan

Pour over veal , & serve with pasta, rice, and salad.

Enjoy

[Via http://lv2cookgdfd.wordpress.com]

Caisearbhán in the Kitchen

Uimhir decided that i was going to cook dinner yesterday and that i had no choice in this. The kitchen, you see, is my Kryptonite: all my amazing, wonderful, womanly super-powers instantly vanish the second i step foot in that dreaded room. Uimhir is a great cook. He can make anything, from the best home-made lasagna you ever had to chocolates that make Godiva hide for shame. Me… Well, did you ever see that episode of The Simpsons where Homer pours out a bowl of cereal and milk and it catches fire? Yeah, that’s me.

I looked through all our cookbooks for something easy. When i was seventeen my mom gave me a beginner’s Betty Crocker cookbook, in which i found a recipe for pork tenderloin. “Aha!” i thought. “Pork is cheap! I remember Uimhir said that. So if i mess this up, oh well, not too much money wasted.” If anyone reading this knows anything about food, they’re probably laughing now. But how was i supposed to know that tenderloin is the most expensive kind of pork?!

Having decided on pork, i needed a side. I kept thinking about my mom’s recipe for rice dressing so i decided to make that. From there it was pretty easy because if you’re going to have rice dressing you must have cornbread somewhere. So i went out and got all my ingredients. (And found out about that pork thing. Uimhir did laugh a little.)

I stared down my kitchen for a few minutes and, i swear, i heard the music from “A Fist Full of Dollars” in the background. (You know what i’m talking about–that classic western showdown sound.) I had absolutely no clue what i was doing and i wasn’t fooling anybody.

Then i remembered that Uimhir told me Julia Child dropped food on the floor ON TV. And then she LAUGHED about it and moved on! Moved on–just like that!

Then i remembered that Uimhir told me the first thing you’re supposed to do is mise-en-place. That’s basically the fancy word chefs used for preparing everything before you actually start cooking. So i took a deep breath, got my recipes, and read them over. I gathered all the ingredients on the kitchen counter, separated, of course, because there were three different recipes.

Here is what i made:

* Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary (from “Betty Crocker’s Cooking Basics: Learning to Cook with Confidence”)

Ingredients: 1 clove garlic; 1/4 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. pepper; 1 pork tenderloin (about 3/4 lb); 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Peel and crush the garlic. Sprinkle salt & pepper over all sides of pork. Rub rosemary & garlic on all sides of the pork. Place pork in the sprayed pan.

3. Bake uncovered 27-30 min. or until meat thermostat inserted in thickest part of pork reads 160 degrees or pork is slightly pink when you cut into the center. Cut pork crosswise into thin slices.

*

* Momma’s Rice Dressing

Ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef; 1/4 cup each: onion, bell pepper, green onion, parsley; 1 can cream of celery soup; 1 can cream of chicken soup; 1 soup can full of water; 2 tbsp Kitchen Bouquet; 2 cups raw rice; salt, pepper; (sliced mushrooms optional)

1. Rinse your 2 cups rice and start cooking them in a rice pot.

2. Brown meat in a large pot.

3. Add bell pepper, onion, green onion, & parsley. Simmer 5 minutes.

4. Add soup, water, & Kitchen Bouquet. Add salt, stir till well mixed.

5. Add cooked rice. Stir until mixed well.

*

Okay, so i was in the kitchen. I had my recipes and my ingred–oops. I had forgotten to get both garlic and parsley. I figured i’d do fine without the parsley and that garlic powder would just have to do. After that, things went pretty smoothly. I say that, but nothing ever goes REALLY smoothly for me in the kitchen. I’m in a constant state of panic, running from one thing to the next with the constant knowledge that at any moment i am likely to screw the whole thing up or set the kitchen on fire. Or, more probably, do both at the same time.

Uimhir came in and reminded me to keep an eye on the ground beef (i was cutting up vegetables at the time) and He tried to show me proper knife techniques but since i was trying to do five things at once i was a bit short with Him and said that He would just have to show me later. Once i actually had to call my mom because i had mixed everything for the rice dressing but i was afraid to add the rice in because everything else looked really soupy. She assured me that the rice would soak up a lot of that, and it did, but mine was still a little wetter than i remember hers being.

I told Uimhir and He gave me another kitchen secret: “That’s how it’s supposed to be.” However it comes out, even if it looks a little funny, as long as it’s tasty then i should just smile and pretend that’s how it’s supposed to be. Most people won’t know the difference anyway.

I guess that was how it was supposed to be because everything turned out great! The pork was really juicy and tasty and the rice dressing tasted almost exactly like my mom’s used to. I haven’t said much about the cornbread but that’s because i could already make cornbread pretty successfully so it was the one thing i wasn’t worried about.

Huzzah for success!

–caisearbhán

[Via http://caisearbhan.wordpress.com]

Meal Planning extravaganza!

Yesterday Mike and I went to the grocery store and costco and stocked up for the week (and bought enough kleenex to last through the plague!). Then we got home and I cooked up a storm! Three meals for the week DONE! Mike gets home an hour before I do and when I get home I’m starving, this way Mike can heat up and have dinner waiting for me. He’s an excellent cook but this is way easier! (And fewer dishes!)

Here’s what I made (all from Real Simple Magazine recipes that I cut out and laminated!)

• Couscous and spiced mini burgers
• Roasted Red Pepper Meat Loaf
• Jerk Chicken and corn bread (which I didn’t make yet but it only takes 25 minutes.)

And here is an update on those delicious cookies I wrote about earlier: CARDAMOM IS EXPENSIVE and really hard to find. 11 bucks for a jar! You’ve got to be kidding me.

[Via http://fryxie.wordpress.com]

Duck, Duck, Dinner

 

Time management may not be my best skill.  While visiting my family, I thought one of the best ‘presents’ I could give them would be to make a few meals while I’m here. The premise: I enjoy it and they will love {hopefully} eating it. However, undertaking a meal of Holiday proportion and timing everything exactly right may take a little more practice on my part. I started this morning around 11 am and made a tray of my Bacon, Egg and Toast Pods. They turned out really well, and got rave reviews. I’ve said it once before… but I’ll say it again… ah’mazing, easy, and a big hit!

 

After a quick shower and trip to Target, it was back to cooking. Washing and boiling spinach, cleaning a duck, mixing a sweet potato souffle, and chilling a cream cheese chocolate ball. …{backtrack, I said cleaning a duck! Just picture that for a second}… I did pretty well getting everything prepared and got about an hour break before it was time to get the duck in the oven. Two hours of gracefully dancing around the kitchen, followed by an hour-long mad dash at the end… we have dinner:

Crispy Duck, Creamed Spinach, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Sweet Potato Souffle. Click the names if you’d like to read my blogs about these dishes. I’ll be adding the sweet potato and cheese ball in the next few days!

 

The meal turned out fantastic. And, my family {who had not previously tired duck, or had it in the last few years} gobbled up a whole 6 pound duck. Go me! I’d say it was well worth a day of cooking and preparing. Drop in tomorrow for a picture tutorial on the Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Ball! De’lish …. Night Ya’ll!

[Via http://emergingdomesticity.wordpress.com]

Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup

I made this over the very snowy New Year’s weekend and it is the perfect warm, smooth, comforting, and yummy thing to enjoy after playing in and shoveling the snow.

Roast one bulb of garlic.

Melt some butter.

Sauté some onions.

Add potatoes, roasted garlic, and stock, and simmer for a spell.

Purée and enjoy!

Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup

Recipe courtesy of Lauren of Healthy Delicious via  The Kitchn

• 1 head garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 3 cups chicken vegetable stock
• 1 large white potato, peeled and diced
• 1 inch cube parmesan or small piece of parmesan rind
• 1 cup milk
• chopped chives

Heat the oven to 400°F. Slice the top off your garlic and place on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, and wrap foil up around it. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the cloves are very soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Melt the butter in the bottom of a saucepan. Add onion and thyme to the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 5 minutes).

Add the stock and potato. Squeeze half the garlic cloves out of their skins and into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until potato is very soft.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup. Return to heat and stir in the milk. Cook until just heated through.

Taste and season with additional garlic or salt as desired. Divide between serving dishes and top with chives.

[Via http://mariannika.wordpress.com]

Some Excellent Tips On Easy Roast Beef Cooking

Discovering the easy route to cooking roast beef can greatly add to any meal, which includes this meat. A majority of the methods are long established, and simple to execute in many kitchens. Furthermore, these hints on cooking roast beef will ensure that your family and friends beam with satisfaction as they tuck into your superb meals.

Following are some of the more popular ways of cooking roast beef:

1. Broiling

You need to make notches on the edges of the beef with a sharp knife to make them curve upwards. With sizeable roast this is not achievable but with more compact ones this is a great idea. A broiler basket can also be utilized to ensure that the roast is kept in a horizontal position.

2. Trimming

If you so want, you can cut off a little of the surplus fat from the roast. If you are health conscious and wish to cut down on fat consumption, then this is a wonderful idea.

3. Seasoning

A great number of the well-known hints on cooking roast beef include seasoning. You will taken aback to know that there are several different ways to season your beef. While most people prefer their beef to retain its natural flavor and hence use modest amounts of seasoning, others fancy a much sharper flavor.

If you wish to find out some of the most popular cooking hints for roast beef regarding strong seasoning, it is prudent that you first attempt some cuts and cooking recipes on small sized meats. After you hit upon the right kind of seasoning, you can go on to try larger cuts. This will prevent unnecessary expenditure and as well as frustration.

Given below are a few hints on cooking roast beef and the basics of broiling:

Lay the beef on the rack of the broiler pan, which is not heated. In the case of cuts not more than one and one-fourth inches in thickness, you need to broil about three inches away from the flame. Regarding cuts that are one and one-fourth inches thick or more, you will be required to broil about four to five inches away from the flame. You should broil the meat in accordance with the time mentioned or it is cooked to your satisfaction, turning the meat on its side after broiling it for half the given time.

In case you like roasting better, the following are a few hints on cooking roast beef and common guidelines regarding the roasting times:

A round rump roast, that is boneless, weighing four to six lbs, should be cooked at 150 degrees to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for about one and a half to 3 hours. For achieving medium-to-medium rare doneness, these instructions are to be followed.

For sirloin roast, boneless, of four to six lbs in weight, it should be cooked at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for two and a quarter to two and three-fourth hours for rare. For medium, weighing four to six lbs, it should be cooked at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for two and three-fourth to three and a quarter hours. For well-done, the beef weighing four to six lbs, should be cooked at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for three and a quarter to three and three-fourth hours.

Always remember the ovens differ. You will be required to fine-tune your cooking time in order to harmonize with your oven.

It is possible for you to come across some great recipes and many hints for cooking roast beef by either checking the different websites that provide the required information on the internet or by means of published cookery books that are readily accessible on the web or in the neighborhood bookshops.

[Via http://easyrecipescook.wordpress.com]

Pantry Challenge -- One Day In

If you are unfamiliar with my Pantry Challenge, please read this post.

Reason #1 why I need this challenge -- Disaster!

If you have been following along, here is an update.

Last night was easy.

Had left over lasagna to chow down on, did not need to really dip in to anything frozen or stale, though I did eat some white chocolate for dessert.

Decided to take some pics with phone of just why this challenge is needed.

Both freezer and pantry are overflowing and quite messy. (Yes, that is a bottle of vodka in the freezer next to the teething rings, what’s it to you?)

Reason #2 why I need this challenge: can you say mess?

Pantry items used: 0 (Unless a Lindt truffle counts?)

Freezer items used: 0

Times I have cheated on challenge: 0

Level of enthusiasm for challenge : still a 10!!!!!

Days into the challenge: 2

[Via http://grassisnotgreener.wordpress.com]

4 Awesome Recipes For Easy Home Cooking

The best methods of cooking are the easy ones no doubt, and in these busy times when time and energy savings are so difficult to come by, everybody would like to try some. We have the awesome four-some recipes for easy home cooking listed here for you to try for yourself or to share:

1. Chicken Soup and Dumplings :

Ingredients: 19 oz of Progresso Traditional chicken noodle soup, 14 oz chicken broth, 16.3 oz Pillsbury Grands refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, freshly chopped parsley if you like.

Method: warm the soup and broth; bring to a boil in a 4-quart Dutch oven and work to divide dough into 8 parts, cutting them into 4ths. Add these biscuit pieces into the boiling soup and cook in an open vessel for ten minutes, bringing to a medium boil, then cover and cook for another ten minutes so dumplings get fluffy and light. For serving, first take out dumplings, then using a soup ladle, spoon into bowls, adding dumplings before garnishing with parsley.

2. Quick Chicken and Broccoli Pie :

Ingredients: 10 ounces frozen chopped broccoli, defrosted and drained, 6 oz Cheddar cheese, a cup of cut-up cooked chicken, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix, a cup of milk, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and two eggs.

Method: pre-heat oven to 400 Degrees F and grease a 9-inch pie dish while you sprinkle broccoli, a cup of cheese, chicken and onion in to the pie plate. Mix and blend well the Bisquick mix, milk, salt, pepper and eggs then pour it into pie plate and place into the oven to bake for half an hour; insert knife into the center to check if done (if it comes out clean), before sprinkling in the remainder of the cheese and browning the top till it melts. Cool a few minutes before serving.

3. Spiral Sandwich Idea :

Ingredients: a 15-inch diameter soft cracker bread, single herb-and-garlic cheese spread, 8 oz of finely sliced smoked turkey, 1 big tomato finely sliced, 6 oz finely sliced Swiss cheese, 18 leaves of fresh spinach.

Method: Spread cheese on bread in an even layer; place turkey, tomato, Swiss cheese and spinach on it taking care to leave 4″ on one side covered only with cheese spread. Roll up bread starting from the turkey-layered side and trim edges before cutting the rolled-bread into 1-inch sandwich slices.

4. Ham and Swiss Pie :

Ingredients: a cup and a half of fully cooked smoked boneless ham, one of grated Swiss cheese, one forth cup chopped onion, half cup Original Bisquick mix; single cup milk, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, two eggs, a single tomato sliced and a green bell pepper sliced into rings.

Method: Pre-heat oven to 400 Degrees F, while you grease the 9-inch pie dish; shaking ham, cheese and onions on the dish comes next, followed by stirring in the Bisquick mix, milk, salt, pepper and eggs till all the stuff is well mixed. Now pour the mixture into the pie plate and bake for half an hour or another 10 minutes till the knife inserted in the middle comes clean. Cool before topping with tomato and bell pepper.

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

[Via http://easyrecipescook.wordpress.com]

Monday Meal

Not much to say here today, other than I grew some kind of wild hair this afternoon and decided it was time to make some kind of big deal meal for the family.  I didn’t really follow my menu plan last week, which of course is no surprise (to me anyway), but I forgive myself and rationalize by saying that the first step is at least making it, right?  If I at least make the plan, half the battle is won, and I just need to improve on the actual making the food part.

Anyway.  I digress.

This afternoon I came home from class and I was absolutely starving. My wonderful neighbor had offered up some of what she had prepared for lunch, but I just wasn’t really in the mood.  I thought I might like to eat some sleep instead and tried to lie down with the babies to get a few quick zzzz’s.  The first day back to classes wore me out.

And I digress.  Again.

I couldn’t fall asleep so I got up and started rummaging around in the cupboards, when my eyes fell on the lasagna noodles I bought when we first arrived here about 2 months ago.  And I thought of that broccoli that was soon to be unusable in the fridge.  And the tofu that was due to expire in a week.

And my veggie lasagna was born from these.

But I didn’t stop there.  I made a salad.  Without lettuce.  You see, where we are here in Asia, lettuce can sometimes be hard to come by, and apparently I had used up the last of what we had.  Or someone did.  So I improvised and made a salad with just carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions.  Mixed ‘em all up with a little Italian dressing, and there were no complaints.  I also made some delish garlic…toast I guess we will call it.

I made some fresh homemade garlic butter.  Softened a stick of butter, crushed some fresh garlic, chopped some fresh parsley, mixed it all together, spread it on both sides of some bread and grilled it until it was nice and toasty.  There were no complaints about that either!

All said and done it was quite an enjoyable meal.

[Via http://kissykat.wordpress.com]

Smoked Salmon Parcels with Israeli Couscous

Since I had already decided to make the Stuffed Peppers with Israeli Couscous, I thought it would be a good idea and a good pairing for another dish to have the same kind of couscous. I found this recipe and I loved it immediately because I’m always trying to improve my presentation and I like making cute looking dishes. ^_^ (OK, that’s the closest fob thing that I’ll ever do).

Whole Foods was out of chives, basil, and other herbs. I just drizzled regular extra virgin olive oil over this. At least it still tasted great; they all liked it. I liked it too!

[100% organic]

*OK, the presentation is kind of messy. The smoked salmon was not easy to wrap around the couscous clumps.

**I’m going to make this another time when there are chives for sale!!!

Ingredients:

• 0.5 lb smoked salmon, choose the center pieces
• Stuffing from this recipe
• 2 cups Israeli couscous with 4 cups of water
• 1 cup chives, chopped
• 1 cup EVOO
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

Chive oil

1. Place chopped chives and garlic into food processor and process till finely chopped
2. Stream in olive oil
3. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4. Strain mixture into a glass bowl
5. Give about 30 minutes to drain
6. Discard solids.

Couscous

1. Follow these instructions
2. After step 11, stir in 0.25 cup of chive oil into the couscous and stuffing mixture

Salmon Parcels

1. Make clumps of the couscous and cover with the smoked salmon
2. Garnish with chives

*Adapted from Single Guy Chef.

[Via http://ifyancanyoucan.wordpress.com]

Ringing Out 2009.

New Year’s Eve has always been a pretty quiet affair around our house. Even on the years that we have gone out with friends, we have always been home shortly after midnight. Neither of us is particularly fond of the raucous revelry that surrounds this evening – oh, we have nothing against raucous revelry in general, believe me… but on the cusp of a new year, it just so often seems forced and fake. So, most years, we usually avoid the whole drinking/driving dilemma (ours and other people’s…) and spend the evening at home.

This year, there was a lot of extra incentive to stick to that plan. In the first place, Doug is deep into his tri-training with Dallas Athletes and has a 3 hour bike ride this morning – one in which he was warned that the pace would be “sassy”. In the second place, we have just returned from spending time surrounded by family and are still settling into our normal routine. In the third place, the restaurant where we planned to have dinner only had 5:30 and 9:45 reservations available (too early and too late). In the fourth place, it was cold and rainy outside.  And in the fifth place:

Yeah, I'm fighting a head cold. Not only does it make me look like hell, but this whole sinus-congestion thingie is really getting on my nerves.... I am NOT good at being sick...

As it turns out, staying home was the best decision we could have made.  We cranked up the fireplace, cracked a beer or two – and a bottle of wine – watched a movie and even managed to make it past midnight!

Doug took over the cooking chores tonight. Yay! (I hope this is a portent of the year to come)

Pasta Man! He made penne with Italian sausage and a roasted garlic/herb & tomato sauce, accompanied by Tuscan bread with olive oil, herbs & balsamic vinegar. My only contribution was the salad - and it was a kit, complete with the dressing...

The wine that accompanied the pasta - thank you, Chas & Cathy!

My perspective for a good portion of the evening... Doug in the kitchen, me on the sofa...

...surrounded by dogs. They're confused - I don't sit much, and they can't figure out why I'm on the sofa.

And one dog decides this would be a good time to grab a little more attention ...

Quinn has a "Please, Mom, pet me..." expression...

...so a little "foot massage" seems to be in order. (Good thing I had a pedicure today...)

Heaven!

But, even sick, I can't sit for long... (like my snowflake jammies?...)

and soon, the dogs got into the swing of the evening, too...

This laid-back evening culminated in a toast to the new year, amid a flurry of exchanging New Year’s greetings with friends (gotta love texting). And now here we are – 2010! Happy, Happy New Year, Everyone! May this be our best year yet!

[Via http://paythepiper.wordpress.com]